Kishi Bashi to perform solo show at Frankie’s Sept. 26

Kishi Bashi has performed at Frankie’s Inner City before, but his Sept. 26 show will be his first as a solo performer.

“I’ve always had a fun time there,” he said.

Kishi Bashi. Photo by Shervin Lainez

Kishi Bashi (which is the solo work of Kaoru Kishi Bashi) is formerly from the band Jupiter One. He’s been performing solo for two years. His solo work is a mixture of avant-pop and strings. He plays the violin onstage with his four-piece touring band.

“I started focusing on violin. … There’s a lot of undiscovered territory in that instrument so I started digging deep,” Kishi Bashi said.

The show is part of his tour promoting a new limited edition 7-inch only available online. It contains a song on both sides including “Philosophize In It! Chemicalize With It.” He recorded the song for a Japanese commercial. It’s been available online for a while but is now officially released.

The song is his first new material since his debut album last year, “151a.”

“Like most debut albums, it’s a collection of the best material you have,” Kishi Bashi said. “There’s not necessarily a single thing that inspired it.”

Kishi Bashi said he wanted to keep the album uplifting and inspiring.

“I wanted to keep the positive,” he said. “I didn’t want a showy, arty album. I just wanted me.”

He said he modeled his album after psychedelic rock bands with orchestrated elements like Pink Floyd. He recorded his debut album almost two years ago and is currently putting the finishing touches on his second album.

The title of the album is a popular Japanese phrase which means “one meeting, one time.” Kishi Bashi said it signifies one moment in time of him as a performer.

With the attraction to the audience and performers, there is one moment in time where everything changes, Kishi Bashi said. He said the phrase captivates how he approaches music.